Image transforming method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A color space is divided into a plurality of blocks, and transformed values of coordinates of vertexes of each block are calculated previously and recorded in a transformed value table. In a factor table, vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and the weight factors of these vertexes are recorded with respect to each of positions in a block. A transformed value of a picture element value of each of picture elements, which constitute a color image, is calculated with a simple interpolating operation by utilizing only the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and in accordance with the transformed values, which have been recorded in the transformed value table, and the vertexes and their weight factors, which have been recorded in the factor table. A direct mapping technique is thus improved, and image transforming processing is carried out quickly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for transforming a color image. This invention particularly relates to an image transforming method and apparatus, wherein transformed values are calculated previously by carrying out operations with respect to a limited number of values (colors), and a transformed value corresponding to an arbitrary picture element value is calculated by carrying out an interpolating operation on the previously calculated transformed values.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Color transformation has heretofore been carried out as one kind of digital image processing. For example, in the cases of digital processing of color photographs, if a digital image having been processed for the formation of a print is displayed directly on a monitor, the displayed image will not necessarily look in appropriate colors. Therefore, it is desired that color transformation with a predetermined transformation formula is carried out on the digital image, and thereafter the image obtained from the color transformation is displayed on the monitor.

In the color transformation of a color image, the picture element value of each picture element may be transformed literally by carrying out an operation with a transformation formula. However, such a technique has the problems in that, in cases where the relation formula is a complicated one, the time required to carry out the operation cannot be kept short. Therefore, ordinarily, in systems in which the processing should be carried out quickly as in digital processing of photographs, a technique referred to as the direct mapping process is employed.

In the direct mapping process, transformed values are calculated previously by carrying out accurate operations with respect to a limited number of colors, and the information representing the calculated transformed values is stored in a memory. When an actually inputted value is to be transformed, instead of the accurately operation being carried out, an interpolating operation is carried out by using the previously calculated transformed values, and a transformed value corresponding to the actually inputted value is thereby presumed. Specifically, a multi-dimensional color space is divided into a plurality of blocks, and transformed values are calculated previously by carrying out accurate operations with transformation formulas with respect to coordinates of vertexes of each block. Thereafter, a transformed value corresponding to an arbitrary point is interpolated from the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes.

When the interpolating operation is to be carried out, eight vertexes surrounding the inputted picture element value are specified, and the information representing the transformed values of the coordinates of the eight vertexes is read from the memory. The eight vertexes are weighted in accordance with the position of the picture element value in the block. Factors, which represent the weights of the respective vertexes, and the corresponding transformed values, which have been read from the memory, are multiplied by each other, and the thus obtained products are added together. In this manner, the interpolated value is obtained. The interpolating operation is constituted of the simple operations, i.e. the multiplications and the additions. Accordingly, with the interpolating operation, the processing can be carried out more quickly than with the technique in which the operation with a transformation formula is carried out.

In the technique described above, eight times of multiplications and seven times of additions (i.e., the adding of eight values) are necessarily carried out for one time of interpolating operation. However, in cases where the inputted picture element value is the one located at a point on a surface or a line of the block, the weight factors of the vertexes other than the vertexes, which constitute the surface or the line of the block, become 0. Therefore, in such cases, actually, it is unnecessary for the multiplications to be carried out with respect to the weight factors of the vertexes other than the vertexes constituting the surface or the line of the block.

Also, in the technique described above, the weight factors are calculated each time a picture element value is inputted. However, actually, in cases where the relative position in a block is the same, the weight factors of the vertexes do not vary. Therefore, the technique described above has the drawbacks in that the weight factors are calculated many times with respect to the same pattern.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an image transforming method, wherein useless processing in a direct mapping technique is eliminated, and transformation processing is carried out quickly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the image transforming method.

The present invention provides an image transforming method, in which a first picture element value of each of picture elements constituting a color image is replaced by a second picture element value that is set to have correspondence to the first picture element value by a predetermined transformation formula, the method comprising:

dividing a multi-dimensional color space into a plurality of blocks,

carrying out an operation with the transformation formula with respect to coordinates of each of vertexes of each block, transformed values of the coordinates of vertexes of each block being thereby calculated previously, and

carrying out an interpolating operation with respect to the first picture element value and in accordance with weight factors of the vertexes, which weight factors are determined in accordance with a position of the first picture element value in a block, and the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes of the block, which contains the first picture element value, the second picture element value being thereby calculated,

wherein the improvement comprises the steps of:

i) previously storing information, which represents a transformed value table, and information, which represents a factor table, in a memory, the transformed value table recording the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes with respect to each of the blocks, the factor table recording vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and the weight factors of the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, with respect to each of positions in a block, and

ii) carrying out the interpolating operation by utilizing only the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and in accordance with the transformed values, which have been recorded in the transformed value table, and the vertexes and their weight factors, which have been recorded in the factor table.

In the image transforming method in accordance with the present invention, the picture element value is the one represented by (R, G, B). Also, the multi-dimensional color space is the coordinate space, which have R, G, and B axes and visually represents the picture element value (color) as a coordinate point.

As for the weight factor, for example, in cases where a certain picture element value is located at the middle point between a vertex "a" and a vertex "b," the weight factor of the vertex "a" is 1/2, and the weight factor of the vertex "b" is 1/2. In cases where a certain picture element value is located at a point dividing the line, which connects the vertex "a" and the vertex "b," in a ratio of 1:2 (at a point closer to the vertex "a"), the weight factor of the vertex "a" is 2/3, and the weight factor of the vertex "b" is 1/3. Specifically, the weight factor is determined in accordance with the relationship between the position of the picture element value and the positions of the vertexes, i.e. the position of the picture element value in the block, regardless of the coordinate values of the vertexes. Therefore, in cases where the sizes of the blocks are identical with one another, with respect to only one block, the weight factors may be calculated with respect to every point, which is contained in the block. In such cases, the calculated weight factors can be applied also to picture element values located in the other blocks.

The term "in a block" as used herein embraces the boundary lines, boundary surfaces, and vertexes of the block.

Therefore, for example, in cases where the block is a cube having a size of 8 picture elements×8 picture elements×8 picture elements, the factor table recording vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and the weight factors of the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, with respect to each of positions in a block is composed of 512 pieces of data.

No limitation is imposed upon the size of the block. If the block size is set to be large, the number of points in the block will become large, and therefore the factor table will become large. If the block size is set to be small, the number of vertexes will become large, and therefore the amount of operations, which are carried out previously in order to calculate transformed values, will become large. Therefore, an appropriate block size may be selected by considering the memory capacity and the amount of operations.

In order for the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, to be recorded in the factor table, names according to relative positions of the vertexes may be given to the vertexes. For example, a name "a" may be given to the vertex, which is closest to the origin of the color space. The names of the vertexes may be recorded in the factor table. Alternatively, each of the vertexes may be represented by unit coordinates with the length of one side of the block being taken as 1, and the vertexes may be recorded as (0, 0, 0), (1, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0), and so on.

Further, a vertex data sequence, which is formed by arraying the vertexes of a single block in the adjoining order, may be stored in the memory, and

each of the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, may be represented by the number of the vertexes and a pointer indicating a portion in the vertex data sequence, at which the vertexes are arrayed consecutively.

The present invention also provides an image transforming apparatus, in which a first picture element value of each of picture elements constituting a color image is replaced by a second picture element value that is set to have correspondence to the first picture element value by a predetermined transformation formula, the apparatus comprising:

a transformation means for obtaining information representing coordinates of vertexes of a plurality of blocks, into which a multi-dimensional color space has been divided, carrying out an operation with the transformation formula with respect to the coordinates of each of the vertexes of each block, and thereby calculating transformed values of the coordinates of vertexes of each block,

a storage means for storing information representing the transformed values having been calculated by the transformation means, and

an interpolating operation means for carrying out an interpolating operation with respect to the first picture element value and in accordance with weight factors of the vertexes, which weight factors are determined in accordance with a position of the first picture element value in a block, and the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes of the block, which contains the first picture element value, and thereby calculating the second picture element value,

wherein the storage means stores information, which represents a transformed value table, and information, which represents a factor table, the transformed value table recording the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes with respect to each of the blocks, the factor table recording vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and the weight factors of the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, with respect to each of positions in a block, and

the interpolating operation means carries out the interpolating operation by utilizing only the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and in accordance with the transformed values, which have been recorded in the transformed value table stored in the storage means, and the vertexes and their weight factors, which have been recorded in the factor table stored in the storage means.

In the image transforming apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the storage means may further store information representing a vertex data sequence, which is formed by arraying the vertexes of a single block in the adjoining order, and

may store the information representing each of the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, as a combination of the number of the vertexes and a pointer indicating a portion in the vertex data sequence, at which the vertexes are arrayed consecutively.

With the image transforming method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the interpolating operation is carried out by making reference to the factor table, which records the vertexes necessary for the interpolating operation and the weight factors of the vertexes. Therefore, unnecessary operations with respect to vertexes, which have a weight factor of 0, need not be repeated. Also, the calculations of the weight factors need not be carried out each time a picture element value is inputted. As a result, the processing can be carried out quickly. In such cases, the operation processing carried out is only the product sum operation. Therefore, the image transforming method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention are also suitable for pipeline processing.

Further, when the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, are recorded in the factor table, instead of the vertexes themselves being recorded, the number of the vertexes used for the interpolating operation and the pointer indicating a portion in the vertex data sequence, at which the vertexes are arrayed consecutively, may be recorded in the factor table. In such cases, the data size of the factor table can be kept small, and the memory can be utilized more efficiently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of the image transforming method in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will hereinbelow be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of the image transforming method in accordance with the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, in the embodiment of the image transforming method in accordance with the present invention, a transformed value table 4 and a factor table 5 are prepared previously. When an image signal representing a color image 7 is inputted, an interpolating operation is carried out by making reference to the values having been recorded in the transformed value table 4 and the factor table 5. A transformed image 8 is thereby formed.

Firstly, how the transformed value table 4 is prepared and the contents recorded therein will be described hereinbelow. A color space 1 is a three-dimensional coordinate space having R, G, and B axes. Each of coordinate points in the color space 1 represents one color. In the cases of a full color image, each of the R, G, and B takes values of 0 to 255. Therefore, 256³ (=16,777,216) points representing the colors are present in the color space 1. In this embodiment, the color space 1 is divided into blocks 2, 2, . . . each having a size of 8×8×8, and accurate operations with transformation formulas are carried out by a transformation means 3 with respect to only the coordinates of vertexes of the blocks 2, 2, . . . At this time, the number of the vertexes is (256/8)³ =32,768. Since the number of points subjected to the accurate operations is thus comparatively small, even if the transformation formulas are comparatively complicated ones, the operations can be carried out quickly with a computer.

The thus obtained transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes of each block are described as a single piece of data in the transformed value table. Specifically, as shown in Table 1 below, each piece of data in the transformed value table is composed of nine elements, i.e. block No. for specifying a block and eight transformed values (RGB coordinate values). For example, since vertexes of adjacent blocks have the same coordinates, the same transformed value is stored repeatedly as the elements of a plurality of pieces of data. However, the image transforming method in accordance with the present invention is the one which gives priority to the quick processing over the memory use efficiency. Therefore, the data structure described above is employed by considering the efficiency, with which the table is referred to.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Transformed value table                                                          Block      Transformed                                                                               Transformed   Transformed                                No. value 1 value 2 . . . value 3                                            ______________________________________                                         0        R.sub.0-1, G.sub.0-1,                                                                     R.sub.0-2, G.sub.0-2,                                                                    . . . R.sub.0-8, G.sub.0-8,                         B.sub.0-1 B.sub.0-2  B.sub.0-8                                                1 R.sub.1-1, G.sub.1-1, R.sub.1-2, G.sub.1-2, . . . R.sub.1-8, G.sub.1-8                                         ,                                             B.sub.1-1 B.sub.1-2  B.sub.1-8                                                2 R.sub.2-1, G.sub.2-1, R.sub.2-2, G.sub.2-2, . . . R.sub.2-8, G.sub.2-8                                         ,                                             B.sub.2-1 B.sub.2-2  B.sub.2-8                                                32767 R.sub.327671-1, R.sub.32767-2, . . . R.sub.32767-8,                       G.sub.327671-1, G.sub.32767-2,  G.sub.32767-8,                                 B.sub.327671-1 B.sub.32767-2  B.sub.32767-8                                 ______________________________________                                    

How the factor table 5 is prepared and the contents recorded therein will be described hereinbelow. As described above, in this embodiment, one block has the size of 8×8×8, and therefore 512 coordinate points (colors) are present in the block (containing the boundary). The transformed value of each color is calculated by carrying out an interpolating operation by using the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes. With the conventional direct mapping technique, weight factors necessary for the interpolating operation have been calculated each time the interpolating operation is carried out. On the other hand, with the image transforming method in accordance with the present invention, the weight factors are recorded previously in the factor table 5. Specifically, instead of the weight factors for all of the vertexes being recorded, only the weight factors used for the interpolating operation are recorded in the factor table 5. Also, since the weight factors are determined by a position in the block, pieces of data in a number equal to the number of the coordinate points contained in one block (512 pieces) may be stored. Table 2 below show an example of the factor table 5.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Factor table                                                                              Number                                                                 of Start Factor Factor  Factor                                                Pattern vertexes Position 1 2 . . . 8                                        ______________________________________                                         0      1       8        1      --     --   --                                    1 2 1  1/8  7/8  -- --                                                         2 2 1  1/4  3/4  --                                                            511                                                                          ______________________________________                                          Vertex data sequence                                                           1 (1,0,0)                                                                      2 (0,0,0)                                                                      3 (0,0,1)                                                                      4 (1,0,1)                                                                      5 (1,0,0)                                                                      6 (1,1,0)                                                                      7 (0,1,0)                                                                      8 (0,0,0)                                                                      9 (0,0,1)                                                                      10 (0,1,1)                                                                     11 (1,1,1)                                                               

In Table 2, the term "pattern" represents the number for the identification of a position in the block. The term "number of vertexes" used in Table 2 represents the number of the vertexes, which are used for the interpolating operation. For example, in cases where the picture element value is the one corresponding to the coordinates of a vertex, the operation can be carried out by using only the values of the single vertex. In cases where the picture element value is the one located at a point on a boundary line of the block, the interpolating operation can be carried out by using only the transformed values of the coordinates of two vertexes. Also, in cases where the picture element value is the one located at a point on a boundary surface of the block, the interpolating operation can be carried out by using only the transformed values of the coordinates of four vertexes. If the number of the vertexes, which are necessary for the interpolating operation, is known previously, the processing can be finished at the time at which the same number of times of operations as the number of the vertexes necessary for the interpolating operation have been carried out. Therefore, useless processing, such as that the transformed values of the coordinates of vertexes are multiplied by a weight factor of 0, can be eliminated.

In cases where the number of the vertexes, which are necessary for the interpolating operation, is smaller than eight, which vertexes are to be used for the interpolating operation must be specified in the factor table. In this embodiment, a vertex data sequence, which is formed by arraying the vertexes of a single block in the adjoining order such that adjacent vertexes may be arrayed consecutively (i.e., in the order such that the vertexes can be traced with one stroke of a brush), is defined previously. Also, in the factor table 5, as the "start position," a pointer indicating a portion in the vertex data sequence, at which the vertexes to be used for the interpolating operation are arrayed consecutively, is recorded. The vertexes specified in the vertex data sequence may be represented by relative values for discriminating the vertexes of the block from one another. Therefore, in the example of Table 2, the vertexes are represented by the unit coordinates as (0, 0, 0), (1, 0, 0), and so on.

The transformed value table 4 and the factor table 5 are prepared in the manner described above. How the processing for replacing the picture element value by making reference to the transformed value table 4 and the factor table 5 (i.e., the processing with an interpolating operation means 6) is carried out will be described hereinbelow.

When the image signal representing the color image 7 is inputted, the interpolating operation means 6 carries out the processing described below with respect to the picture element value of each picture element in the color image 7. Firstly, the interpolating operation means 6 detects the block No. of the block in the color space 1, to which the picture element value belongs. The interpolating operation means 6 then retrieves the data of the detected block No. from the transformed value table 4, and reads the transformed values of the vertexes of the block (i.e., the vertexes surrounding the inputted picture element value).

Thereafter, the interpolating operation means 6 calculates the position of the picture element value in the block, retrieves the data of the calculated position from the factor table 5, and reads the number of the vertexes, the start position, and the weight factors. Also, the interpolating operation means 6 multiplies the transformed value corresponding to the coordinates of the vertex, which is indicated by the start position in the vertex data sequence, (the transformed value having been read from the transformed value table 4) and the weight factor of the vertex (the weight factor having been read from the factor table 5) by each other. In cases where the number of the vertexes is two or larger, the transformed value corresponding to the coordinates of the vertex, which is next to the start position in the vertex data sequence, and the weight factor of the vertex are multiplied by each other, and the same number of times of operations as the number of the vertexes are carried out. Thereafter, all of the results of the multiplications are integrated, and an interpolated picture element value is thereby obtained. Finally, the picture element value of the color image 7 is replaced by the thus obtained picture element value. The processing is carried out for each of the picture elements constituting the color image 7, and a transformed image 8 of the color image 7 is thereby obtained.

With the embodiment described above, the image transformation can be carried out with a processing time as short as approximately one-third of the processing time with the conventional direct mapping technique. Thus the embodiment described above has large practical effects.

In the embodiment described above, the color space is divided into cubic blocks. Alternatively, the color space may be divided into triangular prism-shaped blocks, triangular pyramid-shaped blocks, or the like. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An image transforming method, in which a first picture element value of each of picture elements constituting a color image is replaced by a second picture element value that is set to have correspondence to the first picture element value by a predetermined transformation formula, the method comprising:dividing a multi-dimensional color space into a plurality of blocks, carrying out an operation with the transformation formula with respect to coordinates of each of vertexes of each block, transformed values of the coordinates of vertexes of each block being thereby calculated previously, and carrying out an interpolating operation with respect to the first picture element value and in accordance with weight factors of the vertexes, which weight factors are determined in accordance with a position of the first picture element value in a block, and the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes of the block, which contains the first picture element value, the second picture element value being thereby calculated, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of:i) previously storing information, which represents a transformed value table, and information, which represents a factor table, in a memory, said transformed value table recording the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes with respect to each of the blocks, said factor table recording vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and the weight factors of said vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, with respect to each of positions in a block, and ii) carrying out the interpolating operation by utilizing only the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and in accordance with the transformed values, which have been recorded in said transformed value table, and the vertexes and their weight factors, which have been recorded in said factor table.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein a vertex data sequence, which is formed by arraying the vertexes of a single block in the adjoining order, is stored in said memory, andeach of the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, is represented by the number of said vertexes and a pointer indicating a portion in said vertex data sequence, at which said vertexes are arrayed consecutively.
 3. An image transforming apparatus, in which a first picture element value of each of picture elements constituting a color image is replaced by a second picture element value that is set to have correspondence to the first picture element value by a predetermined transformation formula, the apparatus comprising:a transformation means for obtaining information representing coordinates of vertexes of a plurality of blocks, into which a multi-dimensional color space has been divided, carrying out an operation with the transformation formula with respect to the coordinates of each of the vertexes of each block, and thereby calculating transformed values of the coordinates of vertexes of each block, a storage means for storing information representing the transformed values having been calculated by the transformation means, and an interpolating operation means for carrying out an interpolating operation with respect to the first picture element value and in accordance with weight factors of the vertexes, which weight factors are determined in accordance with a position of the first picture element value in a block, and the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes of the block, which contains the first picture element value, and thereby calculating the second picture element value, wherein the storage means stores information, which represents a transformed value table, and information, which represents a factor table, said transformed value table recording the transformed values of the coordinates of the vertexes with respect to each of the blocks, said factor table recording vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and the weight factors of said vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, with respect to each of positions in a block, and the interpolating operation means carries out the interpolating operation by utilizing only the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, and in accordance with the transformed values, which have been recorded in said transformed value table stored in said storage means, and the vertexes and their weight factors, which have been recorded in said factor table stored in said storage means.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the storage means further stores information representing a vertex data sequence, which is formed by arraying the vertexes of a single block in the adjoining order, andstores the information representing each of the vertexes, which have weight factors other than 0, as a combination of the number of said vertexes and a pointer indicating a portion in said vertex data sequence, at which said vertexes are arrayed consecutively. 